


walk you home

by zhongscult



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, M/M, Nohyuck, haechan - Freeform, jeno - Freeform, sfd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-10-05 16:46:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 6,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17328758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zhongscult/pseuds/zhongscult
Summary: hyuck has the ability to see the best and worst events of a person’s life, past and present, upon touching their hands.





	1. Chapter 1

hyuck opened his journal for the first time in a week or two; the journal he records his encounters in. 

lately, he’d been avoiding meeting new people or touching anyone’s hands. he was sick of seeing the accomplishments and despair of every new person he met.

he ran his fingers over his messy handwriting explaining everything he saw about the people he met. he read over how he knew one of his classmates would become a celebrity and how she would never find real love. he sighed recalling the boy who would become filthy rich, yet would lose the love of his life. 

hyuck never regarded his ability as a blessing or a curse. it was quite rewarding to see that so many of his friends and family would do great things in life, but it crushed his confidence too. 

he couldn’t see his own best and worsts.

his biggest fear was amounting to nothing; that he sees everyone around him becoming celebrities or becoming rich or being happy for a lifetime before it happens, but he’ll be a lowlife and never see it coming. 

the only way he could ever see his own future is through close friends and family. he could see the good parts of their lives and if he’s a part of it. but he’d never do that. he was too afraid he would never see himself. 

so he tried not to touch anyone’s hands. sometimes it was inevitable, but he’d started wearing gloves almost all the time by the time he was eight. it was always so overwhelming— and he’d never even held someone’s hand long enough to see their entire life. 

which is why he was afraid of relationships. of crushes. of the cute boys at his school. 

there was a light knock at hyuck’s bedroom door. 

“hyuck,” his mother softly called, “we have the new neighbors over.” his mother knew he didn’t like being around people. she didn’t know it was because he was afraid of what he’d see, but she’d never questioned him.

his mother wouldn’t force him out of his bedroom, he knew, but she was so excited about the new neighbors and he knew she’d be happy if he greeted them. she was really all about good impressions. 

hyuck heard her walk downstairs and ask the guests if they wanted a drink. he exhaled heavily and opened his bedroom door. 

downstairs, hyuck was greeted by his mother and the woman next door having a hearty conversation, and what looked like the neighbor’s son sitting awkwardly at the end of the couch. he was biting his upper lip as if he were nervous. something about the way he could tell the kid was timid around new people made hyuck want to make him comfortable. 

he walked past the older woman, giving a shy “hello” and approached the boy sitting on his couch. 

“do you want a drink or something?”

the boy snapped his head up at hyuck like he’d been lost in his thoughts, then immediately looked down again and twiddled with his thumbs. he nodded. 

“okay. come with me,” hyuck said, walking around the couch, “what do you want?” 

“water is fine,” the boy replied quietly, not taking his eyes off the floor. he shuffled behind hyuck awakwardly as he filled a glass with water. 

“im donghyuck,” he said, pushing the glass towards his new neighbor, making sure not to touch his hands, “but i go by hyuck.” 

the boy smiled to himself. “my name is jeno.” instead of drinking the water, jeno only spinned the cup around slowly. he was clearly nervous. 

hyuck rested his elbows against the counter and looked up at jeno, who had his head down facing the floor. “so... why’d you move here?” 

jeno took a small sip of water and pursed his lips. “divorce.” 

hyuck took his arms off the counter. “oh. im sorry.” 

jeno glanced up, gave a weak smile, then took another sip of water with both of his hands wrapped around the cup. “it’s alright. i don’t mind.” 

when he saw hyuck’s concerned expression, he chuckled. “really,” he assured, “it’s okay.” 

“okay...” hyuck said, not sure what to do next. his mom walked up behind him and put her hands on his back, which made him jump. she took her hands off immediately and awkwardly dropped them to her sides. 

“why don’t you show jeno your bedroom?” she said, smiling at jeno, “i think you two would make good friends.” 

hyuck stared off, internally panicking. he still had his journal open, sticky notes of interesting things he’s seen in people’s futures on his walls. not to mention that hyuck really thought he was a freak. for god’s sake he could see people’s past and future without ever saying a word to them. 

and, quite frankly, jeno was cute. and friendly. and everything hyuck adored in a person. he agreed with his mother that they’d make good friends— but not if jeno saw hyuck as he really was. 

“i—“ hyuck said, turning around to face his mother, “i dont know if thats...” he let his words trail off when he saw his mom’s face drop. he cleared his throat. disappointing others must be his weakness. “okay, i will.” 

when hyuck walked into his bedroom, he immediately started tearing sticky notes from his walls and gathering any notebooks or loose papers and shoving them in drawers. when he stood back and watched jeno look around briefly, hyuck noticed everything that was wrong with his bedroom. the unmade bed, the one burned out lightbulb in his ceiling fan, the unfolded laundry on his desk chair. he found it strange that he never had a problem with his living space until a new (and undeniably attractive) person came in to see it. 

hyuck and jeno stayed silent for a minute or two, jeno sitting at the edge of hyuck’s bed and hyuck standing by his door, his hands behind his back. he didn’t want jeno to ask about the gloves. 

but of course. “what’s with the gloves?”

hyuck laughed nervously and brought his hands out from behind his back. “they’re cool, you know?” 

jeno didn’t know, apparently, as he raised his eyebrow at hyuck. “well... okay. i guess.” 

hyuck never felt more like a loser.

jeno broke the silence by suddenly jumping off the bed and grabbing a video game off of hyuck’s bookshelf. “you have this game? i’ve always wanted to play it!” 

hyuck laughed, relieved that they had something in common that they both liked. “i only bought it yesterday,” he said, “wanna play?” 

jeno nodded excitedly and handed the game to hyuck. he pushed the game into the console, uncoiled two controllers from their cords, and handed one to jeno. they played that game until jeno’s mother came upstairs and told him that she was leaving.

hyuck’s mom followed her in and said, “you can stay if you’d like, jeno.” 

jeno nodded, and the door clicked behind their mothers. he dropped the controller in his lap, but then, as a second thought, reached over to hyuck to hand it to him. 

hyuck had taken off his gloves so he could use the controllers easier, and his fingers brushed jeno’s when he took the controller from him. 

it wasn’t enough of an interaction to give him a real vision, but enough to make him hear the sounds of a crash. squealing wheels. shattering glass.

it all happened within a second but hyuck still screamed and started tearing up at the corners of his eyes. it was the most terrifying thing he’d ever seen. 

he wasn’t sure if he had just seen jeno’s death, but he also didn’t want to ponder that.


	2. Chapter 2

hyuck woke up in the middle night crying. his dreams, his every thought, was filled with what he saw when he touched jeno’s hand. 

‘god’ , hyuck thought, ‘why couldnt he have just handed the controller over with his right hand. then i could have seen something good.’

turning over on his side, hyuck couldn’t help but wonder when that accident was going to happen. who would be hurt? what would happen? 

all he wanted was a friend. but of course he can’t even have that without his abilities getting in the way. 

he fell asleep again, completely overcome with concern for jeno’s safety. 

. . . 

the next morning, hyuck went outside to check the mail, trying to convince himself that his vision of the car crash was the product of a nightmare. he really couldn’t get it off his mind. 

as hyuck was sifting through the envelopes he pulled out of the mailbox, he heard a “hey, hyuck!” from next door. 

jeno was walking towards him, smiling widely. his eyes were like crescent moons when he smiled; hyuck smiled to himself when he noticed that.

“good morning,” jeno said when he approached hyuck, “i wanted to ask you... if you’re alright? you seemed upset last night.” 

hyuck gripped the mail in his hand tighter and stood a little taller. “yes,” he said, “i’m okay. thank you.” 

“no problem,” jeno smiled so wide.

hyuck didn’t know why jeno was so happy all the time, but he didn’t mind much. “well,” he said, awkwardly, “i’m going to go back inside.” 

jeno’s face fell slightly, before it lit up again. “hey, actually,” he said, reaching to grab hyuck’s arm after he started walking away, “do you want to hang out with a friend and i at his house tonight?” 

hyuck instinctively yanked his arm from out of jeno’s reach and shied away from him. he relaxed his muscles after seeing jeno’s slightly hurt expression, and replied, “uh. yes. sure. i gotta go.”

. . . 

hyuck had forgotten about his hurried acceptance of jeno’s invitation to his friend’s house. when his mom called him downstairs and said that jeno had arrived, he tried to think of an excuse to stay home, but then felt guilty. jeno had invited him somewhere and no one had ever really willingly hung out with hyuck. so, he slid on a pair sneakers and made his way downstairs to leave with jeno. 

the car ride wasn’t as awkward as hyuck was afraid it would be; the two boys shared a similar taste in music and they spent the ride listening to their favorite songs and cracking jokes. 

when they arrived at jeno’s friend’s house, and hyuck closed the car door shut, he realized he’d forgotten his gloves. of course. 

hyuck and jeno were greeted at the door by a boy who introduced himself as renjun.

hyuck could tell that renjun and jeno were close, which kind of set him up to expect to feel awkward with them. he didn’t know either of them that well. 

barely having taken a step inside, renjun shoved his hand towards hyuck, waiting for a handshake. “nice to meet you,” he said, “you’re hyuck, right?

hyuck darted his eyes around, not sure if he should just ignore the handshake or not. seriously, who shakes hands in this day and age? renjun had his right hand out. good things. hesitantly, hyuck shook renjun’s hand, and tried to keep it as short as possible. 

what hyuck saw touching renjun’s hand, though, made him hold on for a few seconds longer. usually, whenever he’d touch someone’s right hand, he’d always see things like that person’s wedding or the birth of their first child. typical things that are the happiest moments in people’s lives.

but all hyuck saw touching renjun’s hand was happy moments from his childhood and teenage years. nothing to indicate that he’d have anything significant happen to him in adulthood. no wedding, no child birth, nothing. 

hyuck quickly pulled his hand away, afraid he’d weird renjun out by holding onto the handshake for too long. it didn’t seem that renjun noticed, as he started walking off into his living room, beckoning for hyuck to follow. 

jeno was already sitting on the couch, frowning at the two video game controllers in his hands. “renjun, do you have another controller?” 

renjun sat down next to jeno. “uh, no, i dont.” 

“its alright,” hyuck said, quickly, “i’ll just play the winner.” he decided to sit down next to renjun, next to his left hand. 

hyuck never went out of his way to touch someone’s hands to see what kind of visions he’d get. but something about the lack of a future in his visions of renjun’s life made hyuck want to see what his other hand would show. 

jeno kept glancing over at hyuck, but hyuck didn’t notice. he was trying to think of a way to touch renjun’s hand without being weird. which probably wasn’t possible, but his curiosity was becoming too much. 

after several unsuccessful attempts, hyuck gave up, and the three of them migrated to the kitchen to get some drinks. he felt too awkward to try again, but he still sat by renjun. 

renjun watched jeno spin the tab on his soda can around, no one saying anything, until he pushed his chair from the table. 

“i’ll be right back,” renjun said, looking at jeno like he expected him to do something. 

jeno tried to stutter out a protest but when renjun left the room, he looked back at hyuck and smiled weakly. he moved over to the seat next to hyuck.

hyuck looked over at jeno, completely oblivious. he folded his hands on his lap, not sure what to say to break the silence. 

“do you want to come with me to the fair tomorrow?” jeno asked. 

hyuck furrowed his brows. he didn’t know why jeno kept inviting him places; wasn’t a place like the fair meant for couples anyway? still, hyuck nodded, not wanting to miss an opportunity to become better friends with jeno. 

“is renjun coming?” hyuck asked. 

“ah.. no. he’s busy,” jeno replied. 

hyuck must have looked disappointed. jeno sighed and turned around just in time to see renjun walk back into the room and sit down in the chair jeno sat in before he left. 

“why don’t we play a card game or something?” renjun said. 

. . . 

when hyuck and jeno had gotten in jeno’s car to leave, jeno paused right before putting his keys in the ignition. “do you like renjun?” he asked, turning his head only slightly towards hyuck. 

“well.. yeah? he’s nice,” hyuck replied, confused. 

“no i meant...” jeno pushed his keys in with a little more force than necessary, “nevermind.”


	3. Chapter 3

that night, hyuck had another nightmare about the car crash he’d seen the first night he met jeno, and for a brief moment wondered if it was really jeno that’d be lost in that crash. 

. . . 

hyuck’s mom had gone out with jeno’s the next day, and hyuck was home alone, laying on his bed, his hand over his stomach, when he heard a car honk loudly outside the front of his house. he smiled to himself, figuring that it must be jeno picking him up so they can go to the fair. hyuck enjoyed all this time he was spending with jeno; jeno is such a kind hearted person, and a great friend, though hyuck didn’t have many to compare him to. he also gave hyuck this fluttery feeling he couldn’t describe in his stomach when his lips curved up and formed crescents at his eyes. 

hyuck made sure to grab his gloves, and then met jeno outside, greeting him as he climbed into the front seat. 

jeno glanced at hyuck’s gloved hands as he settled them into his lap. “it’s kind of hot out,” jeno commented, looking up to adjust his rearview mirror, “are you sure you want to wear gloves?”

hyuck slowly turned his head to jeno, frowning. why did he care about the gloves? “i’ll be alright.” 

jeno was silent for a second until he burst into small laughter. “you’re so awkward.” 

hyuck smiled, as jeno predicted, awkwardly. “is that... a bad thing?”

“no,” jeno replied, turning around to back up out of hyuck’s driveway, “it’s cute, actually.” 

hyuck looked down at his lap, suppressing a sheepish smile, as a blush spread across his cheeks. he didn’t say anything in return.

the time they spent together at the fair was like a montage scene straight out of a movie. jeno trying to win prizes for hyuck but failing miserably; hyuck pointing up at rides excitedly, begging a fearful jeno to join him; enjoying cotton candy together. 

when it had started to get dark out, the stars moving to blanket the dark blue sky, jeno looked the happiest. his eyes reflected the sky; they had specks of their own stars in them.

hyuck, who’d been staring at his feet as they walked back to jeno’s car at the end of the night, was startled by jeno suddenly grabbing his hand and lacing their fingers together. hyuck gave a small smile to the ground and neither of them said anything.


	4. Chapter 4

a few days after the fair, more hang out sessions with jeno and renjun, and more car accident nightmares, hyuck woke up to a phone call from jeno. 

“come outside,” jeno said, “let’s go for a car ride.” 

“to where?” hyuck asked, groggily, blinking himself awake. 

“im not sure. lets just go and see where we end up.”

hyuck could feel jeno’s smile through the phone. he just had that hint of happiness in his voice. “okay,” hyuck replied, rolling out of bed, “i’ll be out in a second.” 

these kind of days went on for a while. almost everyday, jeno and hyuck would find something to do, or drive around not knowing where they’re going, just spending time together. sometimes renjun would join them, and the three of them became quite close very quickly. 

just over a few months after they’d met, jeno and hyuck spent another day driving around with no destination. once it started to get dark out, though, jeno proposed they go to an old playground they found the week before. 

hyuck nodded in agreement, and they didn’t say anything even when they had arrived at the playground and were climbing onto the metal stairs that led up to a set of slides. 

almost like they’d done this every day of their lives, jeno and hyuck both sat against the wall between the two slides, and rested their heads against it. 

the air was starting to pick up a slight chill since it was approaching the autumn season. as if reading hyuck’s mind, jeno said, “we start school again in just under a month.” he limply picked up hyuck’s gloved hand and began to trace invisible patterns on it. jeno did that a lot, and hyuck was always glad he remembered his gloves when he was with him. 

“yeah,” hyuck sighed, “i really don’t wanna start senior year.” 

“im kind of excited,” jeno said, now tracing figure 8s on hyuck’s palm, “its a new school for me. i only know you & renjun.” 

“i’ll show you around,” hyuck replied, recieving a grin from jeno in response. hyuck gave a small laugh seeing jeno’s smile, then turned his head to face front. jeno never turned his head from hyuck; he rested his chin on hyuck’s shoulder, their hands resting on top of each other’s at this point. 

hyuck yanked his hand away when he felt jeno tugging on his glove. he heard jeno sigh and then felt his head completely rest against hyuck’s shoulder. “why do you wear those things?” he sounded annoyed. 

“why can’t i?” hyuck said, becoming irritated himself. 

“why can’t you just take them off? i want to hold your hand.” 

hyuck tensed his muscles, curling his fingers into a fist. “you can do that with the gloves on.” 

jeno sighed, seeming more confused than angry at hyuck. “i’ve never actually held your hand. but... renjun has.” 

“what?” hyuck brought his knees closer to his chest, as jeno curled his hand around hyuck’s arm, his head never moving from hyuck’s shoulder. 

“when you met him for the first time,” jeno said, “and everytime we hang out with him, it seems like you’re always trying to hold his hand or something.” 

hyuck widened his eyes and stared up at the sky. was that seriously what he was upset about? it made no sense to hyuck, but then again, jeno didn’t know about hyuck’s abilities. how hyuck wanted to see what renjun’s left hand would show. “thats... not it. i...” 

hyuck couldn’t explain. he didn’t know how to say it. how would one go about telling the boy he likes that he can see the best and worst parts of anyone’s life? how could he even begin to form the words that he wanted to hold jeno’s hand too, but he was too afraid of what he’d see? 

so hyuck stayed silent. 

“i like you,” jeno said, his hand tightening around hyuck’s arm, “but if you like renjun...” 

“jeno, no-“

hyuck didn’t think he’d ever been more frustrated with himself in his life. he simply couldn’t get any words out. 

jeno stood up and started to climb off of the playground and back to the car. “let’s just go home.” 

hyuck followed jeno, trying to say something— anything— but every word got stuck in his throat like it was coated in glue. 

they sat in silence in the car, but for the first time since they met, it was uncomfortable silence. words that should have been spoken were hanging in the air, and they left each other confused about the other’s feelings. 

when jeno stopped in front of hyuck’s house, he unbuckled and looked over at jeno who was staring at the steering wheel. 

hyuck quickly leaned over, kissed jeno on the cheek, and got out of the car. he could feel jeno’s eyes on him as he went inside.

 

hyuck couldn’t sleep that night. he was constantly replaying the entire day with jeno in his mind like there was no pause button. specifically, hyuck’s thoughts kept circling back to the moment jeno curled his fingers around hyuck’s arm and confessed his feelings. thinking about that scene made hyuck’s stomach do backflips. 

before he could really think about it, hyuck grabbed his cell phone and called jeno. he didn’t really expect an answer, considering it was about two in the morning, but the phone only dialed for a few seconds before jeno picked up. he didn’t even sound like he’d just woken up. he’d been awake too, hyuck figured.

after a second, hyuck sighed an “i like you too” into the phone. 

jeno hung up the phone, and hyuck just lay there on his bed listening to the dial tone. 

at least he’d said something. it was only a few words, but it was something. hyuck was proud of himself for getting any words out to begin with. 

after a few minutes of staring at the ceiling, hyuck heard a car horn sound outside of his house.

his phone lit up with a text message from jeno. 

“come outside. let’s go for a ride.” 

hyuck smiled, hesitated before putting his gloves on, then left the house.


	5. Chapter 5

jeno and hyuck ended up at renjun’s to pick him up so they could all go somewhere together. the two had fallen under a tense silence in the car while they waited for renjun; they’d confessed to each other but neither of them planned this far. hyuck tried to find something to say that might lighten the mood, but he came up empty-handed everytime he racked his brain for a conversation starter. 

“hyuck,” jeno said, his voice barely over a whisper, “do you really like me?” he talked at a volume that suggested he was afraid that the air was glass and it’d crack if he spoke too loud. 

hyuck quickly whipped his head to face jeno, confused. “of course i do,” hyuck replied, a nervous laugh creeping into his tone, “do you think i lied to you?” 

“no, it’s just... i thought...that you and renjun—“ 

jeno cut off his sentence when hyuck reached his hand over the front console and rested it on jeno’s knee. they made eye contact, but it was as if they were searching for something in the eyes of the other. it was a gentle gaze. 

hyuck had planned to say something reassuring, but the way jeno looked right at that moment was something beyond ethereal. the moonlight delicately traced his features and, just as the night of the fair, hyuck couldn’t help but see stars in jeno’s eyes.

slowly, their lips came closer until they were touching, and every movement they made was slow and small, as if the moment would disappear if they went too fast. hyuck leaned into it more as he felt jeno’s hand move up the back of his neck, his other hand tracing hyuck’s jawline. 

they broke away just as slowly as they started, and hyuck took in jeno’s beauty as he watched him smile to himself before fluttering his eyes open to stare back at hyuck. 

they didn’t say anything, only sat back in their seats. renjun approached the car less than a minute later, demanding that he drive and not jeno. so, hyuck moved to the back, jeno to the front seat, and renjun backed up out of his driveway. 

 

they were going faster than what was considered safe down a highway since it was early in the morning and the streets weren’t busy whatsoever. the three of them were very natural with each other, having fun driving above the speed limit and blasting music. hyuck had never experienced this kind of night before, and he valued it more seeing how happy jeno and renjun both were. he knew it’d be a night he’d always remember; he wanted to always remember the only two friends he ever had in his life and he wanted to always remember how much fun they had.

and he was right. he will remember for a long time. but not in the way he’d expected. 

renjun pulled a cord out of his front console and turned halfway around to hand it to hyuck so he could plug his phone into the stereo and play music. ironically, hyuck didn’t notice that renjun had the cord in his left hand. 

he also didn’t realize he’d taken his gloves off at some point. and of course, their hands touched. 

the scream hyuck let out as he processed the vision he’d just seen collided with the squealing tires and shattering glass of renjun’s car. they flipped over into a ditch, and hyuck shut his eyes tight as he was thrown to the side of the car. he didn’t process much except for the fact that he saw this only a moment before it actually happened.


	6. Chapter 6

hyuck, luckily, suffered minor injuries. a broken arm from when he got slammed against the side of the car, and various spots of nasty bruises could be found on his body. 

it was really nothing compared to renjun though; he hadn’t survived at all. 

hyuck found out after waking up for the first time since the accident. his mother ran to the bed after seeing his eyes flutter open, and she brushed his hair from his forehead, smiling fondly. he couldn’t see straight because of all the images and chopped up dialouge floating through his head. while he was sleeping, so many people had touched his hand, whether it be doctors or his mother. all the visions jumbled together and really all he got out of it was a very interesting dream. 

once the doctors and nurses had evaluated his health and left the room to give him time with his mother, he realized neither jeno or renjun were around. 

feeling all of his muscles tense, bracing for the worst, hyuck spoke in a small voice. “are jeno and renjun alright?” 

he watched his mother’s face fall, a cloud of melancholy shadowing her features. “renjun...” 

she didn’t have to say it for hyuck to get the message. he could see it in her eyes— how she knew her son was alive, but he’d still suffer a complete loss. 

 

hyuck didn’t move for a while after finding out about renjun; he had stayed in bed for another two hours, letting life move on around him, but not wanting it to move on without one of the most important people in his life. 

his mother had told him that jeno hadn’t woken up yet and was breathing quite lightly. he was thought to be able to make it through alive, but there had been brain damage of some sort, which worried hyuck to no end. 

hyuck pushed jeno’s hospital door with his eyes tightly shut. he wasn’t quite ready to see his best friend in such a broken condition, but he couldn’t stay in his own room any longer, especially after a doctor had told him that jeno breathed hyuck’s name at one point in his sleep. it’s the only progress they’ve seen jeno make as far as waking up goes. 

letting out a sigh, hyuck opened his eyes and slowly kneeled down next to jeno’s bed. he wasn’t laying in a natural way; his hands were parallel to his sides like they’d been placed there, his eyes only barely closed. 

hyuck, slowly, reached out and brushed his fingers over jeno’s cheek, recieving a twitch in response. the room seemed to get quiter by the second, making the thoughts in hyuck’s head deafening. he couldn’t quit hearing jeno saying he wanted to hold hands. that he liked hyuck. 

hyuck’s eyes traveled from jeno’s and down to his right hand that was laying limply by his side, palm up. his breath hitched, and he slowly brought his hand up to jeno’s. he had to see if jeno would make it through this. if they’d pursue a relationship. he needed to see. it was the kind of need that felt vital; hyuck didn’t think he could leave the room without knowing the answer. it settled in the forefront of his mind and made his fingers walk to meet jeno’s. 

tilting his head, hyuck finally pushed his fingers between jeno’s and curled them to fit into jeno’s hand. he didn’t know if he’d really expected it to, but jeno’s hand didn’t move. his fingers didn’t curl around hyuck’s as if it were a movie.

hyuck heard wedding bells ringing in his eardrum. he saw a golden light illuminating around a dressed-up jeno, smiling at whoever hyuck was seeing from the eyes of. a faceless man asked jeno if he takes this man to be his lawfully wedded husband, and jeno doesn’t hesitate to give a hearty “i do.” hyuck himself though is no where to be seen. the entire vision was so slow compared to everything else he’d seen; he felt like he was watching it happen in real time. 

that’s all hyuck sees before tears start forming in his eyes and he takes his hand from jeno’s, letting it drop by his side. 

the tears didn’t come from jealousy or bitterness of jeno marrying someone other than hyuck— i mean, could hyuck really expect to be with jeno forever? they were only teenagers. the tears seemed to form in his chest, in the deepest parts of his heart: the parts that understood that jeno’s happiness would always be more important to hyuck than how long their love lasted. 

actually, to be fair, hyuck really was quite bitter, but it melted into this bittersweet smile that hyuck let spread across his face as a tear or two rolled down his cheek and onto jeno’s bed. at least jeno would be happy. at the very least... he would be happy. even if it’s not with hyuck. 

for the next hour, hyuck ran his fingers through jeno’s hair; traced patterns on his arm; grazed his fingertips over his breathtaking facial features. he wanted to somehow map his every curve, his every freckle, his entire being and build a constellation from the sparkles in his eyes. jeno would wake up eventually, the doctors insisted, but they didn’t know how much of his life he’d remember— if anything. so hyuck would remember for him.


	7. Chapter 7

three days had passed since hyuck was discharged from the hospital when his mother burst into his room, her phone almost falling from her hand. 

they were at the hospital and into jeno’s room in record time, hyuck never saying a word the entire time. he’d began to retreat into himself more lately, not really sure how to deal with losing one of his best friends and not knowing if the other will remember him. which, he came to find out, didn’t. 

slowly approached a dazed jeno, who had his hands wrapped in his mother’s. she pointed up at hyuck. “jeno, look,” she said, “it’s donghyuck. your best friend, remember?” 

blinked up at hyuck, then back at his mom. “i thought you said renjun was my best friend.” 

“yes, this is your other best friend. you three would hang out all the time, remember?” 

when all jeno did was blink, and blink some more, hyuck turned around without a word and joined his mother talking to the doctor. he wasn’t too focused on any of the conversations going on; bits and pieces of things thrown around the room went in one ear and out the other. 

“he can’t remember anything from less than a year ago. some of his childhood memories and year old memories are choppy for him...” 

“he remembers his name, his mother, everything constant in his life...”

“he can form and retain new memories and information. we’re thinking he’ll start to remember things sooner or later but...” 

hyuck wanted to disappear. for a brief moment he wished he’d never had met jeno and renjun. but then again, what if he’d never experienced a real friendship? a real crush? an almost boyfriend that was suffering from supposedly temporary amnesia? 

a few minutes later, hyuck and mother decided to leave, and jeno was talking to his mother, paying no attention to hyuck’s departure. 

 

that night, there was a knock on hyuck’s front door, and he opened it to see jeno’s mom standing there with a pained smile. hyuck felt his own mother approach behind him. 

“hi,” jeno’s mother said, not making any move to come into the house, “i just wanted to say.. thank you. for being so kind to us— and to jeno. he... we...” she looked from hyuck to her friend and then in the middle of them, not quite making eye contact. “we’re going to be moving somewhere far from here. i really want to focus on getting jeno started on a new life. i feel like this is a sign, y’know? to start over, i mean.” 

hyuck ducked under his mother’s arm and walked back to the stairs to his bedroom, not giving any word in response. he heard the two continue a clipped, one-answer conversation as he shut his bedroom door. 

he slid his back down his bedroom door and let his head fall into his hands, thoughts moving a thousand per second. a sign? she couldn’t be serious. 

“a fucking sign. does she think this is some work of god?” hyuck grumbled to himself, pushing to his feet. he kicked at the stacked books on his floor and crumbled onto his unmade bed. curling up into himself, he thought about how he’d go back to school in just a few weeks. how the three of them had excitedly talked about their courses and promised jeno they’d show him around the school. it’s quite evil how life can change so quickly. 

and then he was crying about renjun again. all night. 

until his phone started ringing, jeno’s name appearing at the top of the screen. hyuck scrambled out of bed and answered the phone, standing in the middle of his bedroom. 

“jeno?”

“oh,” jeno replied, confused, “i meant to delete the contact. i didn’t mean to call. sorry.” 

and then the call ended. and it seemed, so did their friendship. their almost relationship. hyuck was left drowning in the waters of what could have been.


	8. Chapter 8

hyuck’s life had really turned back to how it was before. he stayed alone, avoided everyone (especially their hands), and he had no friends. and that’s how he liked it; it was what he was used to. 

he missed jeno and renjun everyday, of course. but it seemed part of the distant past now. a year had passed and he’d had no contact with jeno at all. not that that made any romantic feelings diminish, much fo hyuck’s annoyance. he just couldn’t get over jeno. jeno... someone who couldn’t remember him. 

hyuck graduated high school just over a month before, something a year ago he’d imagined he’d do with jeno and renjun. but of course, his life never goes to plan. and of course, shaking hands with the principal as he was handed his diploma was terrifying. 

laying on his floor, hyuck stared up at the glow-in-the-dark stars he stuck to his ceiling. he wouldn’t say it out loud, as if that’d make it any less true, but they somehow reminded him of jeno. his starry eyes. 

he wondered what jeno was up to. he wondered if jeno had his memory back, if he remembered all their dates. their kiss. hyuck would feel pretty dumb if he’d spent an entire year still head over heels for a boy who still couldn’t even remember his name. 

a car honk outside broke the thoughts pouring from his head. then a text lit up his phone screen. 

“come outside. lets go for a ride.” 

and another. “glad i never deleted your number.” 

hyuck’s entire body lit up immediately, his frown turning up, and he slid on his gloves as he ran down the stairs. flinging the front door open, he still couldn’t believe jeno was sitting in a new car right outside his house. 

while hyuck was climbing in, jeno wasted no time. “i love you,” he said, grinning ear to ear. 

hyuck froze, the moved slower as he sat down. “you didn’t remember me for a year.” 

“only for a few months,” jeno replied, as he started the car, “but i didn’t want to say anything until i came back.” 

“you—“ hyuck whipped his head around to face a grinning jeno, “you’ve had your memory for most of the year you’ve been gone? and you never contacted me?” 

“a nice surprise, isn’t it?” he had no shame. 

and hyuck loved it. 

maybe things really do work out.


	9. epilogue

hyuck wished he’d have realized earlier on that when he is seeing events through the eyes of someone when getting a vision, he’s seeing it through his own eyes. that he’s physically there.

only on his wedding day did he realize that when he touched jeno’s hand for the first time, he was seeing his own wedding through his own eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!!  
> i know this didn’t have as much fluff or more detailed moments but i wanted to focus more on plot & storyline here 
> 
> edit: this has been up for a while & honestly im bothered by the ending because i think it fell off a little... im aware of plotholes & the lack of renjun in the end of the story but! i’ll leave the ending as it is & hope it’s still somewhat enjoyable 
> 
> twitter: @cultsfromis


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